The present invention relates generally to the field of electrical control and monitoring systems, and more particularly to a system and method that integrates functions of design, sales and marketing, manufacturing, and programming of system components.
In the field of electrical controlling monitoring systems, various techniques are known and are currently employed for completing initial system designs, and manufacturing systems based on the designs following sales. Due to the often separate nature of the design, sales, and manufacturing operations, however, existing systems typically treat these phases of the product cycle quite distinctly. Conventionally, engineered systems are designed by engineers and technicians for regular product offerings or for client or application-specific implementation. The designs might include component and system specifications, drawings, and so forth. Components may be selected from manufacturer's literature or catalogues in accordance with the specifications. Based upon a system design, a sales or marketing proposal would be provided for evaluation and use as a basis for placing an order for the system.
Following receipt of an order, a manufacturer or systems integrator would typically revert to the initial system design for ordering parts and assembling the parts into the final system. Where programmable components were included in the system, specialized programmers or technicians pre-program certain components manually, and visit the installation site to carry out final programming and trouble shooting needed to bring the system into complete compliance and functionality. Such manual programming is, however, quite costly and can lead to errors through data input, manual and machine copy errors, and so forth. Moreover, locating, identifying, and correcting such errors are also very time consuming operations.
Although electrical systems have become increasingly sophisticated, the procedures used for designing, selling, manufacturing and programming such systems has evolved very little. Modern industrial control and monitoring systems, for example, may include a large number of programmable devices which function interactively to carry out specified automation procedures. However, the approach to designing, selling and installing the systems still requires that programmers or specialized software be employed to implement the system design in compliance with the initial layout, with no appreciable link between the initial design process used for generating a sales solicitation and the manufacturing and programming operations.
There is a need, therefore, for an improved technique which may be employed to design, sell, manufacture, and program systems, particularly in the area of industrial automation. There is a particular need for a technique which will not only facilitate the design, sales solicitation, and manufacturing operations, but which will provide greater uniformity and consistency between the initial design and the final implementation, reducing or avoiding time consuming operations and errors which may occur in conventional processes.